Four persons died on the spot and 17 others injured when a speeding truck dashed into a stationary pick-up van carrying a marriage party on National Highway near Jonk village late on Monday night. All the dead were from Bhatapara. The truck driver has been arrested.
According to the police, the pick-up van carrying the marriage party from Dashrangpur in Kawardha district was parked on the roadside at Chouthiya. Some of them persons were standing outside the van, when the truck dashed the van from behind. With the impact of the collision, the van dashed into a tree in front of it and turned turtle.
In the incident Mangteen Bai, 60; Bhanu Dhruv, 17; Sarojini, 20 and Vikas Dhruv, 12 died on the spot and 17 others suffered injuries. Based on the information received from the villagers and other passersby Bemetara police reached the spot and rushed the seriously injured to government hospital at Bemetara for primary treatment.
Among the injured, condition of 9 were reportedly critical and were sent to Mekahara, Raipur immediately after primary treatment. The remaining eight have been discharged after first aid.
The bodies of the four dead in the accident were shifted to Bemetara hospital in the night, where the doctors declared them brought dead. The bodies have been kept in the mortuary for post-mortem.
After the accident, the truck driver fled from the scene.On Tuesday morning, while checking the sand-loaded trucks going towards Kawardha, the police, based on suspicion, arrested driver of the truck, Hanuman Singh. On sustained interrogation, he accepted the responsibility of the road accident. The truck was identified with the bloodstains on it. The police have seized the truck.